Snapshots
by panty-belle
Summary: Drabbles that follow our favourite couple through every walk of life. Nalu drabbles! Always romantic, some in FT universe, some AUs. Some connected, some not. Variable Rating.
1. Chapter 1

**To celebrate my fifth year writing fanfiction, I decided to write another Nalu one-shot! The first fic I ever wrote was for Nalu, so this seemed like the perfect celebration of my progress. So, without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

**Picture**

* * *

"Mirraaaaaaaaaaa!"

The pretty barmaid turned just in time to catch Lucy throwing herself dramatically into her arms.

"My rent is due! I forgot to save my money!" Lucy wailed, tears pouring down her face.

The blonde heard her friend smother a laugh, before patting her sympathetically on the back.  
"Again Lu? Oh dear, I'll go check behind the counter to see if there's any jobs I haven't put up yet."

Lucy slumped into a seat and rested her head on the bar, sulking. "My landlady is going to kill me… I need 20,000 jewels by tomorrow," she said. Her voice quivered at the thought.

Mira hummed thoughtfully as she shuffled through a thick folder. "You need something easy then… Ah! How about this one?"

Lucy's head shot up.

"Sorcerer Magazine wants to do a new feature. They asked for two strong mages to pose as a team! They wanted a man and a woman, so that'd be the perfect job for you and Natsu," Mira said. "It pays well too. Would you like the address? The photo shoot is this evening."

Lucy hesitated for just a second. Mira's smile was almost _too _innocent. But the lure of sweet, sweet cash kept her from dwelling on it. She grabbed the paper from her friend.

"You are an angel, Mira!" She wailed.

Mirajane laughed. "You better go find Natsu and head over as soon as you can. The director will probably want to measure you for outfits."

Lucy gave her friend one last fierce hug, before running off to find Natsu. She'd come back and thank Mira properly once she'd paid her rent! Now, the mage just had to find her teammate. She stopped and asked a few people as she went, and was not surprised to hear that Natsu had been spotted heading over to her house. What a nuisance! If he got any more drool on her pillows she was going to smother him, and ask Gray to do the photo shoot with her!

The mage ran down the cobbled street to her apartment. The houses blurred past in her excitement and she was gasping for air when she finally reached the quaint, little door to her building. Lucy paused for a second, struggling to control her breathing, before giving in to her joy and pounding up the stairs.

She flung open her door. "Natsu! I have a job for us!"

He was standing shirtless in her room. His hair was dripping water onto her floor, and only a towel kept him decent.

There was a long silence.

"_What are you doing?!" _Lucy shrieked.

Her partner gave her a weird look. "Having a shower…?"

"Don't act like that's normal!"

Lucy grabbed a cushion and hurled it at her friend. Natsu flailed wildly, trying to dodge and keep a hold of his towel. "Get changed you maniac!"

She tried to tell herself that the job, and good manners, was why she was in such a rush to get some clothes on him. It was definitely not because the trickle of water down Natsu's washboard abs was doing funny things to her insides. Admiring him still felt so bizarre to her. Things had been different since the guild had gotten back together. They'd been apart for a year after all. Even now that things appeared to be back to normal, there was a tension in the air that had never been there before. Lucy had managed to forgive Natsu for leaving her behind, just about, but she still felt that something wasn't quite right. It had been months, nearly a year, and there was still a lingering awkwardness. Sometimes she caught Natsu looking at her thoughtfully from across the guildhall, and his dark eyes made her shiver in a way she didn't fully understand. She was always aware of him. Every brush of his fingers against her skin made her tingle, a casual touch on the hand, an arm around the shoulder… All so normal, but his touch left trails of heat over her skin. It confused her, and sort of scared her, so Lucy dealt with it by pretending it wasn't happening. And by shouting at him until he put some clothes on.

After a lot of grumbling and whining, Natsu was finally dressed. He was uncharacteristically quiet as he listened to the job posting, slowly towelling off his hair. Lucy rambled on and on, before finally trailing off in the face of his stare.

She fidgeted as she waited for her friend to make up his mind.

Natsu pulled a face. "That sounds borinnggggg."

"Natsu! Please!" Lucy threw herself on the floor before him. "I'm so poor, have mercy!"

Natsu groaned and flopped back in his chair. "Let's go on a mission with monsters in it! Fun and money!"

The blonde threw her arms around his legs and holding him tight. "Natsu! Rent's due tomorrow!" She wailed. "PLEASE."

Her partner tried to get away, hopping like a rabbit towards the door but Lucy clung like a limpet. After a few hard-earned steps, Natsu flailed wildly and toppled over. Smacking his head off the floor seemed to take the fight out of him.  
"Ugh, _fine. _I'll do your stupid, boring mission, you weirdo," he said, his voice muffled by the carpet.

Lucy wriggled until she was lying on top of him, and made stupid kissy sounds. "You're the best."  
"Oh my god, get off me!"

Lucy laughed loudly, before wrapping her arms around him as much as she could. "Thank you, Natsu," she said quietly.

Her friend's body rumbled with soft laughter beneath her. "S'okay, Luce."

* * *

"Okay, this is it!"

Lucy had her arm linked firmly with her partner's. She tried to make it look friendly, even if she was really doing it to keep him on task. She didn't want the director realising one of his models was so reluctant! But she didn't trust Natsu not to bolt at the last minute, so the death grip had to stay. The blonde studied the building in front of them, looking for a way in. The large, glowing letters that said, "SORCERER'S MAGAZINE", was a pretty good hint that this was the right place, but there were so many doors that she wasn't sure which one to pick.

Natsu helped out.

"Come on! Get this over with," he said a little grumpily, and towed her towards the nearest entrance.

Lucy found herself being dragged along a spacious corridor, decorated with framed magazine covers and glamorous photos. She wanted to stop and have a look at a couple, but Natsu seemed to have decided that the best way to get through this hell was at speed.

Lucy struggled to keep up with her friend's pace.

"Slow down! We need to find Studio Ten," she said, planting her heels into the ground.

She skidded a few paces, but Natsu finally ground to a halt. Luckily, management had tacked up a large map at the end of the corridor, and the pair spent several moments studying it. This place was huge!  
Lucy was the one who finally spotted it.

"There! Studio Ten! Let's go," she said. After a few insistent tugs, Natsu trudged after her.

"Come on," she wheedled. "It won't be that bad. They'll just take a few pictures and then it'll be done!"

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Sooooo boooorrinnggggg."

The blonde pouted and hugged his arm closer to her and got an unreadable look for her troubles. "I'll make you dinner, promise. I'll even set it on fire for you."

His cheer returned at the thought of food and he whooped loudly. "Alright! I'll do this stupid picture thing!"

"Not so loud!" Lucy shrieked, but couldn't help laughing as she led him to the studio.

When they went in, the director was on them in less than a second.  
"The Fairy Tail mages, right? Okay, well chop-chop!" The tall man ushered them along without leaving any time for talk. "You'll be measured for your costumes, I want you ready in half an hour!"

Ears ringing from the rapid-fire orders, the pair found themselves shoved into a changing room. They were beset by a group of young woman that instantly started wrapping tape measurers around them in a rather intimate way. Lucy tried to ignore the sensation of her boobs being squeezed and prayed that Natsu would behave.

"Okay!" The obvious leader of the pack clapped her hands enthusiastically. "That should be everything! You both look like you'll fit the pre-made costumes perfectly. Shoot starts in twenty minutes, so let me know straight away if there's a problem."

With that the group scuttled away, and Natsu and Lucy were left to their own devices. That was slightly weird. Lucy gave her partner a little self-conscious glance. Why were they in the same changing room? Natsu didn't seem to notice anything strange though, and marched straight over to the little desk marked, 'MAN', to inspect his costume. Shrugging it off Lucy did the same. Her heart gave a painful thump when she picked up her costume. Or, more accurately, lack of costume.

"Uh… Luce?" Natsu sounded confused.

With a sense of doom, Lucy turned.

Natsu was wearing nothing but a pair of black briefs, and a horrified expression. "Lucy… Did you trick me into doing a porno?"

"NO!" She shrieked. "I-it's probably artistic or something." Lucy laughed a little hysterically. "Like t-the human body and magic or something, right?"

Yeah, no big deal, she convinced herself. Besides, she'd done plenty of bikini modelling before. It was practically normal!

Natsu looked less convinced. "If you say so, weird job girl."

"Don't give me dumb nicknames!"

Lucy's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Both from the strange situation they'd found themselves in, and it pretty much was all her fault this time, and the surprise view of Natsu's glorious chest. But there was no time to get distracted. She brushed off the last of her inhibitions as she struggled into her costume. This job was going to work out. Even if she had to force it.

It was a squeeze. What she had initially taken for a bikini turned out to be made of tight, black leather. The outfit was snugger than she expected, and Lucy was a little embarrassed by the way it made her breasts nearly spill out over the top. The blonde studied herself in the mirror. She did look amazing though. Pursing her lips, she did a few careful poses. Critically she examined every inch of her lithe body. She was pleased with what she saw. Every inch of her creamy skin was flawless in the soft light, and the black material stood out in stark relief. It made her look a bit like an edgy biker girl. A very sexy one. Lucy started adjusting her ponytail, and glanced up at the corner of the mirror. Natsu was watching her. He hadn't realised yet that he'd been spotted, and his dark eyes roamed shamelessly over her figure. Lucy could almost feel his gaze trailing up the back of her thighs, caressing her supple curves and leaving tingles in its wake. An all too familiar burn started in the pit of her belly. Part of her wanted to turn around and screech at him, to make this all normal again. They were friends! Just friends! A much larger part of her wanted to pretend she hadn't noticed. To feel his eyes on her body, to make him _want _her. The blonde adjusted her top carefully, before smoothing her hands down her sides. She was surprised at how good it felt. Her skin was flushed and sensitive, and she bit back a moan at the thought of her hands being replaced with a larger, stronger pair. Lucy risked another glance at her partner. Natsu's eyes followed the movement of her hands as she tugged lightly at her costume. His gaze was sharp, and strangely hungry. She'd never seen him look like that before. It was scary. And very, very thrilling. Before Lucy could decide what to do there was a sharp knock on the door.

"On set in five!" A voice called out.

When she turned away from the mirror, Natsu was _her _Natsu again. A wide, easy grin on his face, and no trace of that burning intensity. Relief and disappointment mingled strangely, so Lucy just ignored the whole problem.  
"Come on," she said with a smile. "Those jewels are calling my name."

* * *

The lights on the set must have been magic. She could barely see the staff beyond the edge of the set, and it really felt like Natsu was the only other person in the room.

The director's voice broke the spell. "Okay, we'll start with some of the basic poses to warm up!"

Lucy took a quick look at the set. There was a plush bed with carefully tousled, silk sheets. There was also an armchair, and a dressing table. It looked… like a bedroom. Natsu was giving her that slightly freaked out look again.

"It's artistic!" She hissed through clenched teeth, a smile still plastered on her face.

The director's voice cut off any more bickering. "Okay, girl, sit on the bed in a cute pose. Boy! In the chair and look powerful. Give each other teasing looks."

With a last pleading look at Natsu, who snorted gracelessly, Lucy got into position. She schooled her features and body perfectly, and when she flashed her partner her best smile, she was gratified to see that he was playing along. His expression wasn't going to be winning any awards, but they might just get out of here in one piece. There were a few camera flashes, and a few more shouted instructions. Lucy felt a sense of growing dread when she was asked to move closer and closer to Natsu. This was artistic… right?

After a few more snaps, the director's voice seemed to be getting more and more annoyed.

"Okay, cut! Cut the lights!"

The set lighting changed to something a bit more normal, and all at once Lucy found herself in a room full of people, rather than alone with her partner.

The director strode onto the set. "I'm not getting the passion between you two! It needs more sizzle! More sexual tension!"

Lucy was really starting to hate the man's nasal voice. Especially when Natsu bolted to his feet.

"S-sexual tension?!" He said, eyes wide and face crimson.

The director looked at him like he was from another planet. "Uh, yeah? It's a feature on mage couples. So you have to do coupley things." He gave them a suspicious look. "Did you two even read the job description?"

Natsu was about to open his big, fat mouth and ruin everything. Lucy could just see it on his face. Luckily a subtle sucker-punch to the kidneys cut off what he was about to say. Her partner fell over with a yelp of pain. The director and magazine staff jumped, and stared at him, obviously starting to think that their models were crazy.

Lucy laughed hysterically, trying to cover-up the problem. "So sorry, we're just a bit nervous about our first photo shoot together! Right, sugar bee?!"

Natsu's pained groan would have to pass for an agreement.

Lucy dragged her partner to his feet, chattering madly as she started retreating to the changing rooms. "We're just going to have a pep talk, get those pesky nerves under control. Back in ten!"

She broke into a mad dash for their room.

Natsu was, unfortunately, recovered by the time they reached safety.

"What the hell, Luce?!" He was still crimson.

"Mira told me it was a photo shoot for wizard teams!" Lucy wailed. "That witch lied to me!"

Natsu whimpered, and his eyes darted from side to side. Lucy ran to block the exit just as he made a break for it. She tackled him to the ground and the pair wrestled on the floor.

"I need that money!" Lucy shrieked from her position on top of him.

Natsu sounded utterly panicked as he tried to throw her off. "I'm not doing a sexy photo shoot with you! What if Gray sees?!"

Her partner looked mortified, and Lucy could tell that she was about to have a full-scale mutiny on her hands.

The mage bit her lip as she thought, not noticing the way Natsu's eyes brightened with interest. How could she get him to do this with her? It was time to go for the low blows.

"Please?" she said in a small voice, letting some of her desperation colour her expression. "Natsu, I will be homeless if I don't get this money by tomorrow."  
Her friend fidgeted a little uncomfortably, obviously torn, but Lucy could smell weakness.

"No more cosy bed... No more pancakes in the morning," she said softly.

There was a few moments silence. Lucy amped up the puppy dog eyes.

Finally Natsu groaned loudly. "_Fine. _I'm sleeping over for a week though."  
Lucy gasped at his shameless blackmail but he looked utterly unrepentant.

"I save the cosy bed, I sleep in the cosy bed."

She couldn't really argue with that.

Natsu looked at her for a few seconds, his eyes dark and concerned. "Are you sure _you_ want to do this. The director said he wants… saucy stuff."

Lucy sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Natsu, ugh… it's better than being homeless. Just try to pretend you think I'm sexy, okay? It'll be weird but just have to make eyes at each other, get paid and forget it ever happened."

Natsu's face was a picture of confusion. "What?"  
"Just try okay!" Lucy snapped, her face turning crimson. He didn't have to act like that would be so hard!

"But you are sexy," he said.

It was clear from his face that he hadn't quite meant to say that out loud.

Lucy stared at him. She was suddenly painfully aware that she was sitting on top of her friend. Her tiny bikini, and a pair of briefs were the only things keeping them decent and the silence quickly became mortifying. A red flush started to crawl up Natsu's face.

"O-oh," Lucy finally said. Her own face was practically glowing with embarrassment as she hurriedly climbed off of him.

Natsu slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, and Lucy tried very hard to ignore how it made his muscles ripple.

Obviously she didn't quite succeed.

Natsu tilted his head to one side, and a broad smile spread slowly across his face.

"What'cha looking at, Luce?" His grin looked innocent, but his eyes told a different story.

Lucy wanted to die. "N-nothing!" She squeaked.

Natsu was still smiling like a tiger, and those delicious fangs were doing funny things to her insides. He raised an arm and flexed it experimentally, his bicep bulging at the movement. Lucy couldn't help looking.

"You are! You're checking me out!" Natsu crowed, howling with laughter.

Lucy screeched with rage and decked him. "No I'm not! You pervert! Creep weirdo, don't come near me!"

Natsu lay on the ground, wheezing. He was still smiling, but there was a hint of deep satisfaction in his eyes that made Lucy tremble.

She shot to her feet. "I heard the director! Let's go."

She practically ran out of the room.

As the pair came out of their changing room, and headed back to the set, Lucy tried not to look like she was walking to her execution. She flashed the director a charming smile and a little wave. Her job depended on keeping him happy after all, and she was gratified to see a goofy smile spread across his face. Her little trick seemed to do the job, and he was acting much less annoyed when they were finally ready to shoot again.

"Okay, team! We are ready!" He focused his attention on the two mages. "You guys were a little lacking in… passion last time. So this time I want sizzle! Imagine you can't wait to be alone, so you can rip those little outfits off each other. That's the vibe I want!"

Natsu's expression was a little dreamy for Lucy's liking. This was all so confusing. Natsu was her _friend. _The dearest she'd ever had, and these new feelings were _wrong. _She couldn't accept that while he'd been gone, he'd grown up without her. But then, as soon as she decided that it was totally inappropriate to look at her friend like that, he would touch her so casually and the flames of desire would lick her insides. And Natsu was _looking_ at her. Those dark eyes, filled with heat, were making her more confused than anything else.

"Right! We got plenty of foreplay shots! Now start touching each other. Keep it PG though! These need to be printed!"

Lucy could have strangled the director for saying something so awkward. She shook out her hair, using the habit as a chance to slip into her sexy persona. Hell, if she could convince shopkeepers that they should give her a discount, she could fool a camera.

After a good while, Lucy was shocked to find that it was actually going quite smoothly. Her poses were perfect, naturally, but Natsu was actually going along with it. His expression didn't have any of the heat that she'd come to expect from him though, and the mage really wasn't sure that was going to cut it. She was also surprised to feel a twinge of annoyance. He'd said he thought she was sexy, right? So why did he look like he was trying not to laugh at her? The mage took up another pose, her hands on Natsu's shoulders and gave the camera an impish look. She was _sure _she heard her friend smother a laugh. She glared down at him, and he had the nerve to grin up at her from his comfy position on the armchair. Not even ten minutes ago, he was telling her she was sexy and making her stomach flip, and now he was laughing at her as if she was the least attractive creature in the world. Lucy's eyes narrowed. She'd show him sexy. With another pout at the camera, Lucy slid her hand from his shoulder, and ran them down Natsu's firm chest. She tangled her other hand in his shock of pink hair, and leaned in. He went stiff beneath her. Lucy knew he could feel her breasts pressed up against him, and smiled victoriously when he swallowed thickly.

"What's so funny, Na-tsu?" She murmured in his ear.

He shifted uncomfortably beneath her. "N-nothing. What are you doing, Luce?"

Lucy walked around to the front of the chair, slowly and carefully so a few more pictures could be taken. She could feel Natsu's eyes on her, and it made her want to crow with delight.

When the shouted instructions came to move on to the next pose, Lucy felt an imp of mischief take over. It could be the only reason her next pose was so… risqué. She straddled Natsu, throwing a saucy look over her shoulder at the cameras.

The director whooped. "Yeah, babe! That's what I want to see!"

Natsu was tense beneath her. His hands had come up to grip her waist, and Lucy could feel them twitch as if he wasn't sure whether to push her away or pull her close.

She leaned in and purred, "Relax, you'll ruin the shoot."

His hands felt amazing against her bare skin, and Lucy couldn't help but savour the feeling of being pressed up against his taut body.

Natsu couldn't seem to decide what to do, but as Lucy shifted against him he snarled.

His voice was gravelly against her skin. "That's not fair, Luce."

The mage felt a delicious warmth flush through her body to know that she really could turn him on.

"Last shot,' she whispered. Her lips brushed against the shell of his ear, and her fingers ran through his hair. Natsu groaned as her nails scraped lightly over his scalp. Lucy shivered with delight and heady power.

"Are you okay, Natsu?" She purred and ran her hand dangerously low, trailing over his abs.

Her blood sang with a strange thrill. So wrong, so very, very wrong, but utterly irresistible.

Then everything went to hell. All at once there was a strange pressure between her thighs. Natsu was looking at her, wide-eyed and scarlet with embarrassment.

"Uh, um. Sorry?" He said.

Lucy was too shocked to even enjoy the delicious sensation of his erection rubbing against her. What was she doing?! Natsu was her best _friend. _Why had she gotten so carried away! And now they were sitting there staring at each other with matching horrified expressions.

"That's a wrap! Perfect ending there, guys!"

The directors ringing voice broke the spell, and Lucy nearly fell over in her mad scramble to climb off of her friend. A panicked giggle burst madly from her lips when Natsu subtly grabbed a pillow and placed it on his lap.  
"I'mgoingtogetchangednow!" She didn't even give the people around her time to process what she said before she charged off to the changing rooms.

When Lucy finally reached the sanctuary of the room, she tore off the ridiculous little outfit, and hurriedly climbed into her normal clothes. She felt a little more grounded then, almost as if the photo shoot had been a weird dream. The blonde stared at herself in the mirror, absentmindedly redoing her ponytail. She kept her shaking hands busy to try and distract herself from her flushed cheeks and pounding heart.

Natsu slunk in a few minutes later. Lucy couldn't even look at him in those stupid briefs, and tried to pretend she couldn't see him, or hear the rustle of cloth as he changed.

"Luce?"

She pouted at herself in the mirror, trying to concentrate only on perfecting her appearance.

"Luuuuuuuce." Natsu's voice started to take on a nasal whine.

Lucy whirled around. "What?!" She snapped.

Her heart melted a little when she saw how pathetic her friend looked. The mage could barely remember the last time Natsu felt guilty about something, and seeing him standing there so sheepish softened her anger a little.

"Sorry," Natsu said. "I – uh. Are you okay? I didn't mean to… Hell, I mean. Sometimes these things just happen and I – don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Lucy couldn't help but smile at his miserable expression. He really could be cute. Her anger was mostly directed at herself anyway. She still couldn't understand what had possessed her to test their friendship like that.

"It's okay, Natsu. I'm just a bit embarrassed I guess." The blonde laughed a little sheepishly. "I know you didn't do it on purpose."

Determined to get the last of the awkwardness out of the air, Lucy walked over and gave her friend a hug. Natsu's face brightened so much that she couldn't help but feel better.  
"I'm sorry too," she said. "I guess I got carried away trying to do this job properly, I hope things aren't weird."

Lucy tried not to let her smile waver when she told that little lie.

Natsu gave her a relieved grin. "What are you talking about, you're literally always weird."

Lucy laughed too, and punched him gently on the arm. "Shut up, doofus."

Instantly the air was much lighter and Natsu wrapped his arms around her, drawing her in for a hug. Lucy sighed with contentment and rested her head on his shoulder. There was nothing more comforting being held like this. Natsu was a destructive hothead, but his hugs were warm and tight, and made every shred of anxiety leave her body. Lucy pulled back a little, planning on cracking a joke, but the words died on her lips. Their faces were too close. She could see every freckle, the faint glimmer of green in his dark eyes, and the heat in them made her tremble. Slowly, and so gently it hurt, Natsu kissed her.

Lucy could have stopped him. His movements were careful, as if he was afraid of spooking her. Natsu left her time to change her mind. The brush of his lips against her own was so tender that she knew she could have pulled away. She could have pulled away, and things would be normal again. Lucy _knew _that if she pushed him away, Natsu wouldn't chase her.

"Do you want to stop?" He asked, his lips still brushing against her own.

Lucy's nails dug into his back. "No."

She couldn't. His gentleness made her weak, and there was no way she could have stopped him.

Natsu kissed her again, a little firmer, a little harder this time. Hard enough to make her stomach flip, and her breath catch in her throat. Natsu growled at her reaction, and she could feel him smile against her mouth. Lucy melted. His lips moving against her own was perfect, soft and sweet and achingly sensual. The gentle brush of his tongue sent a jolt of heat to her centre, and Natsu deepened the kiss a little. His hands started to roam; one resting lightly on the curve of her ass, the other came up to cup her face. His thumb brushed against her cheek and Lucy's knees turned to jelly.

"Kiss me harder," she gasped.

Natsu's eyes glittered with heat. In a blur of movement he picked her up and placed her on the table, and he wasn't gentle any more. Every touch set her skin ablaze, his lips against hers almost fierce in its intensity. Lucy groaned as he left trails of kisses down her neck. She knew that some would leave marks, but the sensation was so delicious that she couldn't bring herself to stop him. Natsu's hand slipped under her shirt and Lucy gasped at the feeling of his warm hands against her bare skin. Desperate for more, she wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling him closer. She never wanted this to end, never wanted to lose him. Natsu groaned, shuddering against her as she rolled her hips. Lucy flushed crimson when she realised he was hard again, but this time the knowledge made her burn with longing, and strange pride.

There was a sharp knock on the door. The pair jumped apart as if they'd been scalded and the fog of passion that his skilled hands had created faded in an instant. Lucy felt a sharp panic tightening her chest. She just kissed Natsu. She more than kissed Natsu, she had made out with him in a changing room. And he had _touched _her. It was weird! It was _so _weird.

"Are you guys coming to get your money? We want to go home!"

Lucy _hated _that guy.  
"C-coming!" she called, and grabbed her bag, legs still wobbly. She glanced at Natsu, trying not to let her panic reach her eyes and not quite succeeding. His expression was wild. Jaw clenched and breathing heavily, Lucy thought that he'd never looked so attractive. It was too much.

"Come on," she managed to say, not able to look him in the eyes. "It's late and I want to go home."

After collecting their reward, Lucy ran. There was no way to be polite about it, her heart was about to burst with her terror and she couldn't stand to be in Natsu's presence for a moment longer. He was too much. He was too strong, and hot, and tempting. It made no sense that she wanted him. They had been friends for years, and Lucy couldn't quite accept that things had changed. Natsu was her rock, her one constant in a world so full of chaos and she wasn't ready to accept that anything might threaten that. And making out with him was a threat. Lucy had seen enough to know that nothing could ruin a friendship faster than a nasty break-up, and she never wanted to lose Natsu. She wasn't even sure that she could cope without him again.

It was with a shuddering sigh that Lucy let herself into her apartment. It felt smaller, and colder somehow without her friend hanging around. She hoped that Natsu had the good sense to stay away tonight though. She didn't want to think about him any more today. She had admired Natsu physically for a while, but going from idle, unreciprocated, fantasies to being intimate in such a real way… it was too much. Lucy kicked her shoes off and slumped into the kitchen. Hot chocolate, then bed. And she wasn't going to think about boys at all. The next hour passed in a blur as Lucy dragged herself around her apartment. Slowly she changed into her pyjamas, brushed her teeth, and fell into bed. The young mage was asleep in seconds.

* * *

She was in the shower. The water was scalding hot, steam curling around her naked body, but Lucy couldn't feel any pain. It was perfect. Her shower was pink, rather than white, but she accepted that easily. That was how it was supposed to be.

"Luce!" She heard rather than felt his voice.

He could come in, she thought to herself, and Natsu appeared when it crossed her mind. He was her boyfriend after all. His wide, easy grin made her tingle with happiness. Lucy opened her arms, and he was there with her, their naked bodies pressing together. She couldn't help the wide smile on her face, her heart fit to burst with joy. They rained soft kisses on each other, and nothing had ever been so perfect. Even when the touches turned more sensual, drifting over her breasts and caressing between her legs, Lucy smiled. Natsu was smiling too, soft and almost shy.

"I love you, Luce," he said. His hand came up to cup her face, and Lucy leaned into his touch with a contented sigh.  
"I love you too," she felt herself say.

His lips pressed more firmly against hers, the atmosphere going from sweet to scalding. But even as he took her against the wall of the shower, filling her over and over again, Lucy knew that she had never been so happy.

* * *

She awoke with a start. Her thoughts whirled as she panted for breath, freaked out by the pounding of her heart and the heat between her legs. Did she just have a sex dream about _Natsu_? With a little screech the mage covered her face with a pillow and tried to smother herself. This could not be happening! But even as she panicked, Lucy couldn't deny the way her body ached with longing. Her mind lingered on the images of them together, the perfect kisses, the pleasure… But the thing she really couldn't stop thinking about was how _happy _she'd been. How utterly, and unconditionally, happy. She needed serious help. As if on cue, her little alarm clock jingled merrily at her. Lucy felt almost relieved. There was no time to think about Natsu, and his adorable smile! She had to go find her landlady and pay rent. Lucy couldn't wait to see the look on that hag's face when she got a fat stack of cash shoved in it. With that cheerful thought Lucy hopped out of bed, ready to think about anything but her partner. She went through her morning ritual with a lot of fake enthusiasm. Scrubbing her teeth violently was a great way to feel in control of her life! When she was finally ready, Lucy gathered up her chunk of the reward. She had been in such a panic last night that she'd forgotten to count it, but after a quick check she was happy to see that she had just enough. If she ate noodles for the next few weeks she'd make it through!

With a last fretful look in the mirror Lucy left her apartment and walked all the way to the top floor. She was disgustingly out of breath by the time she reached the top, and had to stop for a few minutes with her hands on her knees. The blonde just prayed that her landlady wouldn't actually come out of her room and catch her like this. There was no need to add, 'disgustingly unfit', or 'grossly sweaty' to her list of Lucy's bad qualities. When she was finally able to breathe again, Lucy stood up and knocked on the door. Seconds later it swung sharply open. The mage tried to keep her smile in place, even when her landlady looked a bit disappointed to see her. Okay so she'd been late paying a couple of times! And Natsu might have broken a couple of things! There was still no need to be annoyed that she couldn't kick Lucy out!

"I've got the rent with me, Mrs Jaegerjaquez," she said with a sunny smile.

Her landlady narrowed her eyes at her. "And actually on the right day this month. What a surprise, I half expected you to have to go to another 'grandmother's funeral' and not be able to pay me until next week."

Lucy tried to laugh normally, but instead made a strangled sound that would have made a crow cringe.

"Nope! Because I am a responsible adult!" She laughed horribly again. "And I get jobs and money all the time, yes indeed."

Her landlady looked hideously un-amused.

"Okay, have to go! Nice seeing you Mrs Jaegerjaquez! Going to go earn more money right now!"

Lucy wanted to punch herself in the face as she ran back down the stairs. She'd faced down some of the scariest monsters in the world! Yet none seemed quite as horrible as her grim landlady.

As horrible as the woman was, within a few minutes Lucy almost missed her. Now that there was nothing to do her mind was turning back to Natsu. It was crazy that she wanted him so badly, and so suddenly. She had admired him for a while, enjoyed the firm line of his shoulders, and the ripple of his muscles as he moved. But this _want _was still alien to her. Their kiss had changed things. All at once, Lucy couldn't help but look at their relationship differently, and she wasn't sure she liked what she saw. There was only one thing left to do. It was time for some serious girl talk.

* * *

It had been an act of immense courage to go to the guild. Even the thought of bumping into Natsu and having to talk to him about what had happened yesterday made Lucy break out in a cold sweat. But as soon as she spotted Levy, bright blue hair like a beacon of hope, Lucy knew that she'd made the right decision. Sliding into the seat beside her friend made her stress vanish into thin air. There was nothing like a good long whine, and then over-analysing everything, to really make a girl feel better. Lucy told her friend every sordid detail, half enjoying the gasps of surprise. She told her about Mira's trick, about the stupid job, about the kiss, and every detail of the dream. Levy was the perfect audience.

"-And now… I don't know what to do," Lucy finished, a little lamely.

Levy gaped at her for a minute. "What do you mean, you don't know what to do! Go find him, and kiss him again!"

"L-Levy! No way! It would be too weird!"

Her friend snorted. "I think you're making it out to be a bigger deal than it is, Lu. He's attracted to you, you're _obviously _attracted to him. Why not see where it goes?"  
Lucy fidgeted anxiously. "You think I'm definitely attracted to him? Like, no hope that it was a fluke?"  
Levy gave her a blank look. "Oh yeah, the knee-weakening make-out session, and the sex dream was definitely a fluke. And I _definitely_ haven't seen you staring at him since the guild got back together."  
"I-I have not!" Lucy said, looking affronted.  
Levy's voice brooked no argument. "You have." She leaned in and waggled her eyebrows. "I've seen him giving you some pretty saucy looks when your back's turned though."

Lucy tried not to look too excited to hear that. She huffed, and played with the ends of her hair, but the way her eyes glanced almost shyly at her friend begged her to keep going.  
Levy couldn't help but smile. Lucy really was cute.

"Why not see where it goes?" She said. "It's _Natsu. _He would still be friends with you if you murdered someone. Even if it doesn't go anywhere he'll still want to hang out with you."

Lucy tugged at her ponytail distractedly. "Things always get messy when people break up." She tried to sound certain, but there was a definite question in her voice.

Levy giggled. "Between you two? Maybe for a couple of months things would be weird, but you'd be best buddies again in no time."

Lucy thought about this for a bit, chewing absentmindedly on her lip. Levy kept quiet, letting her friend come to her own conclusions. The blonde tried to imagine what it would be like being with Natsu. Kissing him, touching him, going on dates… Part of her couldn't wrap her mind around it, but she still couldn't help a smile creeping across her face at the thought. The moron would probably set the restaurant on fire if they tried to have a romantic meal together. But his kisses kept haunting her. His lips soft, and achingly tender, filled her heart with longing. Was it even possible to stay just friends when she wanted him so badly?

As she thought, some sixth sense caused her gaze to drift upwards and Lucy nearly choked when she saw a familiar mop of pink hair and a mischievous smile looking down at her. Natsu was sitting in the balcony above her, and judging from the sparkle in his eyes he'd heard every word. Lucy tried not to cringe at the thought of him hearing every gory detail of her dream, but felt her face flush crimson anyway. Even in her embarrassment, Natsu's expression was so full of joy that she couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Lucy? Are you okay?" Levy said beside her.

"Yeah," Lucy said, not breaking eye contact with her partner. "I guess you're right. See where it goes."

He winked.

* * *

**Longest one-shot I've ever written, over 7000 words! Wanted to make it really fluffy and sweet, and hope I managed to capture some of their dynamic! Please review and let me know what you thought! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Decided to turn this into a series of drabbles and one-shots! Saw a writing prompt on , and thought I had to try it out. **

"**How many times am I going to dig you out of this grave?"**

* * *

**Graves - Rating T**

* * *

Grave robbing was hard work.

Lucy felt a vein throb in her head as she stabbed her shovel into the freshly dug grave. There had been a cold snap since this morning, and the ground had frozen solid before she'd been able to start digging. Her teeth ground together as she tried to force the metal blade into the icy dirt.

"Natsu, I'm going to _kill _you," she hissed, her voice small in the vastness of the night.

Happy yowled disapprovingly. He was sitting on the neighbouring gravestone, watching her with big, green eyes. How a cat could look so smug, Lucy would never know. Even if she lived to a hundred.

"Shut up, cat!" She bared her perfect teeth. "Help, or be quiet!"

Turning back to the grave, she felt hot rage set her blood on fire. Lucy bitterly thought that she probably wasn't going to make it to a hundred. Since she'd made the mistake of befriending Natsu, her life expectancy had halved. The blonde had spent the entire day hiding in a hayloft trying to hide from a horde of hysterical villagers, because Natsu, the flaming moron, had messed up.

They had been at a party. They were just supposed to be passing through the dead-beat little village but Natsu had been giddy with excitement at the festivities. The towering bonfire, the ribbons and bunting… He'd been like a child. Natsu had howled with laughter when they were told that the celebration was for the winter solstice. He'd insisted that it was a sign that they were meant to stay and enjoy the party. Lucy was always wary about staying in one place, but had caved. How could she deny a face like that? Besides, Happy had caught sight of some children eating grilled fish, and had trotted off with the swagger of a remorseless thief. Lucy had known she'd lost the battle then.

It had been a great night, in fairness. The bonfire was so big it felt like the sun, and Lucy could almost imagine what it would be like to feel that heat on her skin again. The red and gold bunting fluttered in the wind, and hollering children running back and forth, made the night feel alive in a way that it so rarely did. Lucy was used to the nights being quiet, and cold, and a little lonely. And though Natsu was taking years off her life, she had to admit that, since meeting him, colour had started to creep back into her world. They'd even danced together, caught up in the music of the little village band. Lucy couldn't remember the last time she'd been so filled with joy. Being in his arms made her feel so _human. _There had even been a moment, when he'd come so close, she could feel his cool breath on her face. His pulse beat like a drum in her ears and just for a moment, Lucy had been sure he was going to kiss her.

But still, she couldn't forgive him for everything, even if Natsu made her happier than she'd been in decades.

Her shovel finally gave a hollow thunk as she reached the coffin.

"You are the worst vampire ever!" She screeched at it.

Her sharp ears heard muffled laughter.

"It's not funny, you asshole!" Lucy swung her shovel and the wood splintered under her strength. "How many times am I going to have to dig you out of a grave?!"

This kept happening! They'd get caught up in something, and Natsu would _forget _that he couldn't go out in the sunlight anymore! It didn't seem to matter that he'd been a vampire for over fifty years; every time he got excited this basic rule went out the window. Lucy was lucky that she'd been able to get into a patch of shade just as the sun poked up over the horizon. Well, more accurately, Natsu had pushed her into the shade. As she turned to try and pull him with her, there was just a second where Lucy saw the sunlight glance off him. The rays had caught his skin, and vibrant hair, making him shine pink and gold. For a fraction of a second he looked human, and so beautiful it hurt. Then he died.

The sight had been horrifying. No matter how many times she'd seen it, Lucy couldn't stand what happened to vampires that got caught out in the sunlight. Lucy wasn't sure what was more terrifying. The way Natsu's skin had gone translucent, showing the shadow of every bone through his suddenly fragile flesh, was pretty bad. It was even worse that it made his fangs so obvious. The villagers had known straight away what he was. But Lucy thought that the part that scared her most was the way he had just crumpled to the floor. Natsu was bursting with life. The fire in his belly never seemed to burn low, and even being near him made Lucy flush with warmth that she never felt when she was alone. Seeing him dead on the ground made her heart freeze and her lungs burn with panic. It was worse when she'd had to run, and leave him behind. Lucy had hidden, her ears stinging with tears she couldn't shed anymore, and not able to block out the muffled wet sound of a stake thudding home. Relief and guilt made her angry.

"I'm going to kill you for real when I open this coffin," she snarled.

Lucy managed to wedge the head of the shovel between the cheap planks of wood, already warped beneath the weight of the soil. With a heave the lid splinted away, and Natsu blinked up at her. His normally bright hair was faded to a dusty rose from cobwebs, there was a smudge of mud on the bridge of his nose, and he was squinting up at her from the sudden moonlight. There was also a brick in his mouth. Lucy tried to hold onto her anger, and worry, she really did, but her lips wobbled dangerously close to a smile.  
"That's new," she said dryly.

The blonde ruthlessly smothered the bubble of humour in her chest as Natsu made some muffled noises. If she so much as giggled, he was off the hook, and he needed to suffer at least a little for making her worry so much.

However, before too long, the little graveyard was ringing with laughter and the smug yowls of a little blue cat. Lucy and Happy gasped and wheezed at the sight of Natsu stumbling around, trying to pull the brick out of his mouth. The gales of laughter only got louder when he fell backwards into the open grave.

Her ribs hurting from laughing, Lucy decided that was punishment enough.

* * *

**Just short, but hope you enjoyed! Drop me a review to let me know what you thought! **


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